USA > Montana > Yellowstone County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 99
USA > Montana > Park County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 99
USA > Montana > Dawson County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 99
USA > Montana > Rosebud County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 99
USA > Montana > Custer County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 99
USA > Montana > Sweet Grass County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 99
USA > Montana > Carbon County > An illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley : embracing the counties of Park, Sweet Grass, Carbon, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Dawson, state of Montana > Part 99
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. JOHN L. MARYOTT, one of Carbon county's successful and representative citi- zens, resides three miles north from Red Lodge, where he has a beautiful and profit- able ranch of more than six hundred acres of excellent agricultural land, the major portion of which is rendered exceptionally valuable for the production of grains and hay grasses by first-class irrigation. He has the place well improved, both with buildings of all kinds necessary and other accessories deemed prac- ticable for a first-classs agricultural establish- ment and dairying farm, which latter industry occupies considerable of his attention. Mr. Maryott is also the grower and breeder of much fine stock, as thoroughbred Shorthorns, and so forth. All his fine property has been gained since coming to Montana in 1886, when he homesteaded a portion of his present estate. His wise management of resources placed by a beneficent endower of all good and his care and painstaking efforts to handle the property as it accumulated are responsible for the prosperity that has so plentifully been dealt to him here.
The birth of our subject occurred in Sus- quehanna county, Pennsylvania, December 14. 1863, he being the fifth of a family of eight children born to his parents, Anson A. and Abigail (Lyman) Maryott, whose native heath was, also, Susquehanna county. The original American ancestors of the Maryott family settled in New England in colonial days and William Maryott, the grandfather of our immediate subject, left Connecticut, his native state, and became a pioneer in Susque- hanna county, Pennsylvania, and there founded that branch of the Maryott family. whence sprang J. L. Maryott. He was a vet-
eran of the War of 1812, a man of excellent and sterling character and passed his days on the home farm in his chosen pioneer county. The parents of our subject never removed from their native county and there lived to become worthy veterans among the pilgrims on life's way.
In the public schools of his native county John L. received the beginning of his educa- tion and then he migrated west to Fremont, Nebraska, to join his uncle, Thomas W. Ly- man, who was engaged in the banking busi- ness. Being a lad but seventeen, he spent four years in Fremont, dividing his time between school and the duties in his uncle's bank. It was in 1886, as mentioned above, when he set- tled in what is now Carbon county and since then he has given his undivided attention to the industries mentioned, with the gratifica- tion that success has chained her chariot to his goings and he is considered one of the lead- ing men of the county at this time.
The marriage of Mr. Maryott and Miss Nellie Luce occurred on November 15, 1893. and to them have been born three sons, Lucius. Thomas, and Abram. Mrs. Maryott is also a native of Susquehanna county, being the daughter of Abram Luce, a stanch and leading farmer of that section. His death occurred in his native place October, 1901. Mr. Maryott is a Republican politically and fraternally is affiliated with the Royal Highlanders, Cluny Castle, No. 281, at Red Lodge.
WILLIAM C. BRECK. The birthplace of the subject of this sketch is Silver City, and the date May 4, 1875. At present he resides on a handsome ranch one mile east of Linley. Carbon county, Montana. His father, Francis Breck, a native of Newport. New Hampshire. was born in 1840, going with his father to Rochester, New York. In 1869 he went to Suisun City, California, where he engaged in
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the mercantile business. In 1875 he removed to Silver City, Idaho, going by stage 200 miles. Later he went to Boise City, Idaho, where he secured a ranch on Wood river, and resided upon it fourteen years. He died in 1894. He had held a number of responsible offices and was, politically, a Democrat. He had four brothers, viz: William, Samuel Martin, Fred George and James. During the Civil War William was United States consul to China. Francis Breck had five sisters: Margaret, wife of H. H. Perkins. Her son, J. Breck Perkins, is in the house of representatives from Rochester, New York; Martha, wife of W. F. Cogswell, of Rochester, a very success- ful attorney; Mary, (died single) ; Ellen, un- married, living in New York; Emma, wife of H. Richardson. They have a son who has a fine position in the geological service. The grandfather of our subject, James Breck, was born in Boston, and he married Martha Burr, a relative of Aaron Burr.
The mother of our subject, Mary A. (Tom- linson) Breck, was born in Derby, Connecti- cut, January 9, 1833. She was educated at Oberlin, Ohio, and left the college on account of poor health. On her return home she mar- ried Mr. Smith Riggs. He was wounded dur- ing the Civil War, from the effects of which he died. In 1869 the mother of our subject went to California via the Isthmus, where she attended Dr. Breck's school for girls (St. Mary's of the Pacific). Following three years' attendance she married a cousin of Dr. Breck. She came to Montana with her two chillren in 1895, and settled in Carbon county, where she has since resided. Her father, James C., was a native of Connecticut, and her paternal grandfather was Agnus Cortelyou, of the same family as Secretary Cortelyou.
The education of our subject was received mainly from his mother, who was a school teacher for many years. With her he came to Montana.
December 17, 1900, he was married to B.
V. DeBonnaine, born in Clarksville, Mis- souri, moving to St. Louis when a child. She is the daughter of Lafayette and Delia R. (Allerd), both natives of Missouri. They have one child, Naomi F., born May 19, 1902.
RILEY TYLER. Probably no other man in the state of Montana knows the west so well as those who followed riding the range for considerable periods in the early days. And it is with sighs of regret, in a measure, that these experienced in that wild, free, furi- ous life on the frontier, see, year by year, the ranges curtailed and the transformation of the broad stretches of open country, as by a vision, into farms and towns with the screaming engines rushing in all directions. Surely the metamorphosis is progressing and soon only in song and literature will live those wonderful days of real cowboy life, a distinctive phase of human existence and human enterprise, known only to the west of the United States of America. The cowboy life is more familiar, perhaps to a Montanian than to anyone else, as it reached there at such an early date and has clung so long. But to have been a participant in that unique existence, so gloriously inspir- ing that danger was scorned, fatigue forgot- ten, and the most trying hardships passed over as immaterials, is as if one had tasted of life on another planet. Glorious days when the free rein was not hampered by fence from Texas to British Columbia! Seventeen years of this life was the allotment of the gentleman of whom we would now write. Commencing in Colorado, and Texas, he has ridden clear to the north of Montana and is familiar with the country as only such a rider could be. Now, Mr. Tyler is dwelling some five miles south- east from Miles City on a quarter section which is largely under the ditch, besides which he has three-fourths of a section for grazing purposes, and with these holdings he is giving
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his time and attention to raising stock and general farming.
At Holden, Missouri, on October 25, 1859. our subject first saw the light, and there he was reared, educated and wrought with his father on the farm until about 1879, when he was led by an adventurous spirit to try the scenes of the west. Colorado was the objective point, and soon he had selected the life he de- sired, namely the saddle on the range. Then came the long years of riding until 1896, when he retired from that arduous calling to settle down in life and build a home. Selecting the place we have mentioned, he has turned the same energy and activity into building a good place as he manifested in his labors of the years of activity on the various ranges. He is succeeding and is counted one of the sub- stantial men of Custer county, and has done much to assist in her progress and upbuilding.
Riley Tyler came from a good, strong American family, who saw much frontier life. His father, Jacob Tyler, was born in Tennes- see, in 1832, and came with his parents to Missouri when a small boy and they settled far out in the wilds in those days, when they were forty miles from a postoffice. An occa- sional log cabin, with its occupant or occu- pants, was to be found once in a while, but the country was practically unsettled. When the terrible war came on, Jacob Tyler promptly enlisted to keep down the ravages of the bush- whackers and for four years was occupied in that most trying and dangerous of all warfare. and so well did he distinguish himself that he was made captain of the scouts. As soon as the bloody strife was over he turned his at- tention to farming. Later he removed to Kan- sas and one year after that he died in Kansas. He had married Caroline Cox, who had come with her parents when a girl up the Missis- sippi and Missouri to central Missouri, where they carved out a home in the wilds. She is still living with a son in Nevada, Missouri.
On August 1, 1896, Mr. Tyler married Miss Annie Hennings, born in Minnesota, Sep- tember 19, 1872. She came with her parents thence to Montana in 1879, traveling from Bismarck to. Miles City by steamer. Her fa- ther, Fred Hennings, was born in Germany, followed merchandising and then went to rais- ing stock in Montana, which he continued till his death in 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Tyler are capable and genial people and have many friends. They have three children; Andruss J., born July 21, 1899: Nellie M. born June 23, 1901 ; and Walter E., May II, 1905. Mr. Tyler is a good stanch Republican and a man well informed and progressive.
CHARLES E. HATCH is one of the prosperous residents of Custer county, his home place being about two and one-half miles south- east from Miles City. His birth occurred in Ottumwa, Iowa, March 5. 1872. George Hatch, his father, was born in England and came to the United States with his parents when a small lad. They settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, and there he grew to man's estate. After that he came to Centerville, Iowa, and fol- lowed farming until later he removed to Ot- tumwa where he remained until his death, in 1892. He married Mary Betterton, born in Pennsylvania, August 17, 1827, who came with her parents to Iowa when a girl. Her death occured in Iowa in 1894. From the public schools of Ottum- wa, our subject received his education and was with his father until grown to young manhood. Then he determined to try the west and soon we find him in Montana, searching for a good location. He finally decided that his present place was suitable for stock raising and farming, the related occupations he had decided to embark in, and so we see his efforts at once began the work of making a home and
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starting into business. From that time till the present he has continued in this work and is doing well in his labors.
Seeing that he needed a helpmeet, Mr. Hatch sought for the right lady and found her in the person of Miss Maude Keenan, a native of Montana, and a very charming and intelli- gent lady. Mrs. Hatch takes great pride in her native state, and she well may, for Montana is the great state of resources and wealth, as varied and rich as an empire, and only waiting for the diligent hand of wise industry to show forth her greatness to a world. Mrs. Hatch's father, Mike Keenan, was born in Pennsyl- vania, came thence to Kansas, and later settled in Montana, and for years was wheelwright at Fort Custer for the government. He and his wife are now dwelling in California. Mrs. Keenan was in maiden life Miss Mary Hamil- ton. She was born in Pennsylvania, came to Kansas and there married Mr. Keenan.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hatch have been born three children, namely, Harry, in 1902; Mary, in 1903, and Charles in 1905. Mr. and Mrs. Hatch are attendants at the Methodist church and are highly esteemed people. Politically he is a Republican and he takes an interest in all the questions of the day.
MAURICE S. WENTWORTH, who is now one of the prosperous land owners of Car- bon county, comes from good old New Eng- land stock and was reared on the farm in Maine. His birth occurred in Waldo county, Maine, December 29, 1864 and there he was educated and remained until man's estate. His father. John D. Wentworth, was born Novem- ber 19. 1817, in Conway, New Hampshire and moved over to Maine in early life. He fol- lowed farming and logging and died Decem- ber 22, 1868. He had married Mehetable Gur- ney, who was born in Maine, November 7, 1823. She came from a good New England
family and died on June 5, 1905, at Worces- ter, Massachusetts, whither she had moved a few years previous to that date. Our subject is the youngest of fourteen children, and aside from his brother, Manus L., who is in Red Lodge, the rest of the family are in the east. The common schools furnished the educational training of our subject and he followed farm work until he was eighteen, when he decided to try the boundless west, and as Leadville was then attracting attention, he went thither and spent four months. As his health was poor he returned to Maine expecting to settle there, but after a few years on the farm he was satisfied to try the west again. This time he came to Judith Gap, Meagher county, and there ranched for two years. After that he came to his present ranch and took a home- stead. It is easy to say a man is a pioneer, to talk about the hardships of those days, but but it is altogether another thing to face the problem itself. As Mr. Wentworth came to the bare quarter, without means, and with a family on his hands, he faced a problem that meant much toil and self-denial. But his en- ergy and pluck were equal to the occasion and he and his faithful wife took up the burdens with a resolution before which everything had to give way and they are now masters of the situation. Remember that the land has to be put in shape before a morsel of food can be raised, the crop must be watered, and fenced, the family must have shelter and only one pair of hands to do it and then, add to that, the hard work of getting sustenance while this is being done, and one gets some glimpse of the situation. Every rod of cultivated soil, every post in the fence, every piece in all the build- ings, and every foot of ditch, had to be ac- complished by labor, steady and hard. Soon prosperity came to perch on Mr. Wentworth's banner, and he soon had means to purchase another quarter and he has a large tract under the ditch, has diversified crops, good improve- ments and plenty for the luxuries of life as
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well as the essentials. His stock is all well-bred and excellent, while everything about shows an air of thrift and prosperity.
On June 7, 1883, Mr. Wentworth married Miss Minnie E. Sheldon, who was born Feb- ruary 17, 1866, in the same place as her hus- band. Her parents, James and Relief M. (Sawyer) Sheldon, were born in Maine. The father died there long since but the mother resides there now, aged seventy-four. Mrs. Wentworth is the youngest of six children and has one brother, Charles R., at Skidgate, Queen Charlotte Island, British Columbia. To Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth the following named children have been born: Elvira, born March 30, 1884; Guy L., born June 27, 1886, and died October 11, 1886; Milo H., born January 23, 1888, and died August 26, 1901.
Mr. Wentworth is a Republican but is not especially active in political matters. In faith the family are identified with Christian Science.
GEORGE H. CAHOO, at the present time in the service of the United States gov- ernment as wheelwright at Fort Keogh, has had much to do in the history making events, not only of Montana, but of various other places of the northwest, as well. Much of his career has been in connection with the military and he is intimately acquainted with both reg- ular service in the Civil War and the Indian fighting for twenty years thereafter.
George H. Cahoo was born in Toledo, Ohio, on July 23, 1844, the son of Mike and Rose A. (Ferrel) Cahoo, natives of Ireland and emigrants to America when children. The father came with his father and settled in Ver- mont, whence, in 1836, he removed to Ohio. The mother settled in Paterson, New Jersey, when she came with her people to the United States. At his old home in Ohio, the father died in the fall of 1860. In Toledo, our sub- ject received his early education and from
school life he went direct to the front to fight for his country, enlisted in Company H, Fifty- second Ohio Volunteers, on July 30, 1862. He participated in all the hardship and service that his regiment saw through the entire war and in 1866, re-enlisted in the Thirty-first Infantry, regular, and served in that capacity until 1869. Then he enlisted again in the Fifth Infantry. regular, and in this relation served ten years steadily. In all of this work he was fighting Indians, and most of the time was under Gen- eral Miles. He was in all the leading Indian campaigns of this time and became an expert Indian fighter. In 1876 he came with his com- mand to Montana and was a participant in all the Indian wars here. Finally, in 1879, he ac- cepted his honorable discharge and immedi- ately went to work for the government in the capacity of wheelwright as mentioned above. He has been established at Fort Keogh and is well known and highly esteemed.
In 1884, Mr. Cahoo married Mary C. Burnett.
ALEXANDER S. GASS. A cursory glance at the career of Mr. Gass will convince any one of his energy and progressiveness, as his activity is so marked and his success so dependent on his own efforts that it is com- mendable in a high degree. Dwelling now on a model farm on Willow creek, five miles northwest from Roberts postoffice, he is es- teemed one of Carbon county's best citizens and certain it is that his example of thrift and up-to-date way of conducting everything is worthy of emulation.
In detailing his career we note that his birth occured in Mexico, Missouri, May 11, 1863. His father, Samuel B .. a Kentuckian by birth, died in September, 1873, aged fifty-four years. He was a tiller of the soil in old Missouri, having come thither with his father, the grand- father of our subject, in 1821 the family comes
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from Virginia colonial stock. The mother of our subject was Mary Pearson in maiden life and she sprang from North Carolina stock, and died when Alexander S. was six years of age. Mr. Gass is the youngest of ten children and the only one of the family to live in the west. He was thrown on his own resources in very young days and his education was se- cured not only from school, which he had little opportunity to attend, but from hard experi- ence in the work-a-day world, and from his persistent reading and study when opportun- ity presented itself. He followed farm work until 1878, then came to Bismarck, Dakota, and spent one winter. In the spring of 1879, he came to Glendive, Montana, and worked on the construction of the Northern Pacific. The following winter he cut and hauled wood for the government fort and after that followed teaming, railroading, and had charge of the commissary of the construction department of the railroad till 1882. At that date he found himself in Livingston and then went to work for a horse ranch. Mr. Gass remarks that he remembers Billings when it was a handful of saloons, a store, and a blacksmith shop and was known as Coulson. After a year on the ranch he spent a year in the store of H. Clark & Co., the principal contractor on the North- ern Pacific and also for them freighted goods to the surrounding country within a radius of one hundred and fifty miles. Subsequent to this occupation he took up the work of the cow- boy and followed it incessantly for five years, riding over all parts of Carbon, Sweet Grass, Park, Yellowstone and Rosebud counties, many times. He rode many times over the ranch where he now resides when it was a part of the Indian reservation. In 1889, Mr. Gass com- menced work in the Billings freight office and two years later went in the same capacity to the Miles City office. In 1892, he went to braking and in, 1894 quit the road. His next venture was a dray business in Billings and af- ter six months of success in that he opened a
livery barn and conducted it two years. The following year he was in partnership with state Senator C. O. Gruwell in a livery barn where the Stapleton block now stands. In 1898 he sold his entire stock and received the appoint- ment of road supervisor for district number two, in which capacity he served with credit to himself and benefit to the country for seven years. This ended in October, 1905, and the previous August he had purchased his present ranch which he is taking great pains to make a first-class place in every respect. He also has a house and two lots in Billings. His farm has one hundred acres in crops, a fine orchard and a beautiful dwelling.
On May 7, 1896, Mr. Gass married Miss Alice Kelly, a native of Ainsley, Nebraska. Her father is dead but her mother lives in the home place in Nebraska. Mr. Gass is a charter member of the K. P., No. 28, in Billings and also belongs to the Royal Highlanders. Politi- cally, he is a Democrat of the Jeffersonian type. Mr. and Mrs. Gass are well read, intelligent and up-to-date people, have their home sup- plied with the best literature and owing to their geniality, kindness and uprightness have hosts of friends from every quarter.
GUNDER OSTRUM is to be numbered with the industrious and progressive agricul- turists who are bringing great portions of the great state of Montana to blossom as the rose and be as productive as the best land in the west. His place lies on Red Lodge creek, some twelve miles east from Absarokee and he has one hundred and sixty acres of deeded land and as much more as his homestead. He came onto the property without any im- provements and has shown in the years here what can be done toward the improvement and subjugation of the wild prairie sod. Our sub- ject was born in Stavanger, Norway, Feb- ruary 13, 1872, the son of Ole and Ingobar
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(Hereim) Ostrum, both natives of Norway, the former dying when forty-five and the lat- ter now living on the old home place aged sixty-five. Gunder was the second of four chil- dren and his brother, Jacob, is with him, while another brother, Christ, is on Butcher creek. From the common schools of his native land he gained his education and when sixteen he began the duties of life for himself. He took a man's part in all work on the farm, the rail- road, and in the mines, and in 1893 came from Norway to Castle, Montana. Here he herded sheep for two years, not losing an hour, and then purchased a band of sheep, running them on to the Musselshell for three years. This resulted in a nice little accumulation for him in finances and then he returned to Norway to make a visit and to claim his bride, who had been waiting for him. Eight joyous months were thus spent in the trip and then in com- pany with his young wife he came back to Montana, landing at Absarokee, where he bought a bunch of cattle, taking them the first winter to Fishtail creek. The next spring he purchased his present place and here he has been since.
The marriage of Mr. Ostrum and Miss Carrie Luming occurred in June, 1901 and her parents are still living in Norway. The chil- dren born to this couple are Oscar. on January 31, 1903, Ingabor, October 15, 1904, and the baby, yet unnamed, on March 5. 1906. Mr. Ostrum is a Republican and is affiliated with the Lutheran church.
WILLIAM B. JOHNSTON, who assisted in building Miles City in its inception and later as well, and who is one of the pioneers of southeastern Montana, resides about four miles east from Miles City and owns there one of the choice ranches of the county. He took it as a homestead, raw and unimproved in any shape, and has transformed it to be a beautiful
and valuable place. As Mr. Johnston is a skilled carpenter, he has put his knowledge to good account and has erected on the farm ex- cellent buildings of all kinds and in abundance and his dwelling is one of the finest in this part of the country.
At Dunbar, Scotland, in the vicinity of Edinburgh. William B. Johnston was born, the date being April 6, 1849. His father, George Johnston was born in the same place and he married Isabel Birrie, also a native born Scotch lady. During his life time the father was foreman on the well known Lochand es- tate near Edinburgh. Our subject was educa- ted and reared in his native place and while young fully mastered the carpenter trade. In 1870, he started out for himself and soon made his way to England where he wrought in the ship yards for a time. Then he went to Chi- cago immediately after the great fire and as- sisted to rebuild that stricken city. In 1874. we find him in San Francisco, where he fol- lowed his trade for a short time, after which he engaged in mining. At Marysville and other points he delved for the golden sands for two years, with what success we are not told, and then he joined the stampede to Wood river, Idaho, in 1880. A short time there satis- fied him it was not the place and he went on to Kinnikinick, Idaho, then to Beaver county. Montana, where he spent the winter of 1880-1. It was in 1881 that Mr. Johnston came to Miles City and he soon was engaged in build- ing the city and since that time he has contin- ued here. The next year. 1882, he took the homestead we have mentioned and since that time he has divided his time between caring for and improving his farm and doing building in Miles City and elsewhere. In all his labors our subject has been prosperous and his prop- erty at this time is valuable and a good divi- dend payer.
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